But being Good Friday, a day on which the Christian world used to slow to a halt, big time Sunday observance on a Friday, I thought I would check with the Network Rail journey planner which assured me that all was well and suggesting a change at Euston rather than the change at Stockwell that I had been thinking of. So not too pleased to get to Kings Cross to be told that the Northern Line (City Branch) had been turned off for planned maintenance and that maybe passengers would like to catch the replacement bus service. I am fairly sure that Network Rail didn't say anything about that. Anyway, took the long march out to the front of the station where we caught a bus to Old Street, a bus which dropped us very near the Istanbul Supermarket where we were able to top up our supplies of flat bread. On the other hand 'The Shepherdess' next to the Eagle was closed so we were not able to tick that box.
Onto St. Luke's where we were able to listen to the gent. in the seat behind us extolling the acoustics of the hall, particularly the bit of it where we were sitting. And he was quite right: the Octet sounded much better in St. Luke's than it had done in the QEH on the two previous occasions. Partly because one is nearer the players and partly because the smaller hall suits the music better: it really is chamber music not a symphony. Only marred by the couple in front of us, probably pensioners like ourselves, chewing gum throughout the proceedings and one had to angle one's head so as not to be distracted by the chomping jaws. And then by a couple of delinquents behind us who opened up some very noisy sweets. Clearly not everybody our age was brought up proper.
Lunch at the local Wetherspoons, 'The Masque Haunt', named for an Elizabethan official who was billeted nearby. How did their publicity people light on this particular name: there are plenty of better known characters tombed up in the nearby Bunhill Fields for whom the place might have been more conventionally named? But a very reasonable lunch at just over £10 for two meals and two drinks: café prices in more comfort than in the average café, not to mention the availability of alcohol if not fags.
Strolled back down to Bank through all the flashy new buildings in that part of the city. And building sites promising more of the same. Who said we were in a triple dip recession, a phrase which is clearly an abuse of language in this context. Rather puzzled to find a semi serious police checkpoint (illustrated) guarding what looked like a south entrance to the Barbican Centre, presumably a hang over from the bad old days of the Irish troubles, but what is there in the Barbican Centre that we don't know about that needs the special treatment?
Inside we find that the Waterloo & City Line is working, presumably to make up for the absence of the City Branch of the Northern Line. The Network Rail people have clearly missed a few beats here.
PS: in the course of the day came across a number of small Tescos, of which I read this morning there are around 2,000, leading one to think that it will be a shame when all the Istanbul Supermarkets have been swept away by the chain stores. And a shame that big companies like Tescos can't stand still; they have, it seems, to be forever on the grab for another slice of business. Can't rest until they own the whole world, just like Napoleon. Even more like him if I could think of a retail analogy for exile to St. Helena. Condemn Tescos to build a 100 checkout store in the Falkland islands and then to run a shopping airbus service from nearby Argentina so that the Argies can do a bit of decent shopping for once?
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